Judicial panel to probe Manipur violence: Shah

A judicial commission headed by a retired high court chief justice will probe the violence in Manipur and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will look into six cases connected to the clashes, Union home minister Amit Shah said on Thursday as he announced a slew of steps to quell the riots that have convulsed the northeastern state for close to a month and killed 80 people.

- Utpal Parashar

On the final day of his visit to Manipur, Shah also announced the formation of an inter-agency command for better coordination, a peace committee to be headed by governor Anasuiya Uikey, promised to improve connectivity, and assured an impartial investigation into the ethnic clashes that have pit the dominant Meitei community against the Kukis, a tribal group.

“A judicial commission headed by a retired high court chief justice will probe the violence in Manipur, the reasons for it and those responsible for it. The probe will be conducted by the Indian government,” Shah told journalists in Imphal. “Dialogue is the only solution to the ongoing crisis in Manipur,” he added.

Shah said that a special team of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will investigate six cases -- five registered till date for the violence that started on May 3 and another one on the general criminal conspiracy behind the clashes.

“I would like to assure the people of Manipur that this probe will be completely impartial and neutral, to find out the main reason that led to the violence. Proper action will be taken against all those responsible with the aim of ensuring that there’s no repetition of such violence in future,” said the minister.

Shah said that the peace committee headed by Uikey will include businesspersons, prominent players, representatives of political parties, legislators and members of civil society groups. “Several agencies are at present working in Manipur to ensure peace,” he added.